Paper punch



y 8, 1968 J. R. BROWN ET AL 3,385,152

PAPER PUNCH Filed June 20, 1966 W. M rm ,uw'; "mu my um WW "II m 11- 92 '15 14 I United States Patent "ice 3,385,152 PAPER PUNCH lohn R. Brown, 5541 Pleasant Ave. S. 55419, and Harlan W. Yates, both of Minneapolis, Minn; said Yates assignor to said Brown Filed June 20, 1966, Ser. No. 558,888 3 Claims. (Cl. 33-633) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A punch device for use in simultaneously perforating a plurality of similar answer sheets, including a substantially flat base having an opening therethrough, and a die positioned within said opening. A generally U-shaped support member secured to the base and extending upwardly therefrom, and having a body member integrally formed therewith intermediate the ends thereof. The body having a vertical bore therethrough accommodating an elongate punch therein. A spring engaging the punch and body member to urge the punch in an upward direction but permitting downward yielding movement thereof. An elongate actuating lever having one end pivotally connected to the body member, and a link extending between and pivotally connected to the lever and to the punch so that pivoting movement of the lever produces vertical shifting movement of the punch.

This invention relates to punch devices and more specifically to a punch device which is specifically adapted for use in perforating and scoring a plurality of similar answer sheets.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel punch device, of simple and inexpensive construction, which is especially adapted for simultaneously perforating and scoring a plurality of similar answer sheets arranged in superimposed relation with respect to each other, thereby facilitating scoring of such answer papers.

A more specific object of this invention is the provision of a punch device for use in simultaneously perforating and scoring a plurality of similar answer sheets, including a base having a substantially unobstructed fiat upper surface for accommodating and permitting a stack of answer sheets which are to be perforated to be manipulated thereon, and including a punch interconnected at its upper end by link means to an actuating lever which is operable for vertically shifting the punch to perforate the stack of answer sheets.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like character reference refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of the novel punch device, and

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof with certain parts thereof broken away for clarity.

Referring now to the drawings it will be seen that one embodiment of the novel punch device designated generally by the reference numeral 16* is there shown. This punch device includes a substantially fiat generally rectangular base 11 which may be constructed of any suitable rigid material such as wood, plastic, metal or the like. The base 11 has a substantially fiat upper surface 12 which is of a size to accommodate a plurality of answer sheets T thereon of the type used in conventional testing and normally having multiple choice type, true and false type, and other selective type answers to be filled in on one side of the answer sheet.

The base 12 also has an aperture 13 therein which is located centrally with respect to the longitudinal side 3,385,152 Patented May 28, 1968 edges of the base but which is located, as best seen in FIG. 2, adjacent but spaced inwardly from one end edge thereof. A die element 14 is disposed in countersunk relation within the aperture 13 so that the upper surface of the die element 14 is disposed in substantially co-planar relation with respect to the upper surface 12 of the base 11. It will be noted that the die element 14 has an opening 15 therethrough which communicates at its lower end with the opening 13.

An elongate support member 16 is secured to the base 11 and is located generally in the longitudinal center line plane of the base 11. This support member 16 is preferably formed of metal and is provided with outturned flanges 17 which are integrally formed therewith. Opposite end portions 18 of this support member 16 are angularly bent at substantially right angles and these end portions are secured by suitable securing means such as screws 19 to the base 11 so that the major portion of the support member is spaced above and substantially parallel to the upper surface 12 of the base member. The spacing between the lower surface of the flanges 17 and the upper surface of the base 11 is of a magnitude to very nicely accommodate a stack of answer sheets T therebetween.

A body member 20 is integrally formed with the support members 16 adjacent but spaced from one of the end portions 18 thereof. The body member 20 is provided with a recess 21 at its upper end so that a pair of bifurcations 22 are defined. These bifurcations 22 are disposed in substantially parallel relationship with respect to each other. A vertically disposed bore 23 of substantially circular cross sectional configuration is formed in the body member 20 and communicates at its upper end with the recess 21, the lower end portion of the bore being reduced as at 24 to define a shoulder 25.

A punch 26 is positioned within the bore 23 for vertical translation relative thereto. This punch 26 includes an intermediate portion 27 and a lower end portion 28 of reduced'cross sectional shape so that a shoulder 29 is defined between the intermediate and lower end portions. The lower end portion terminates in a perforating element 30 which is of a size to one of the answer blanks of an answer sheet T. It will be seen that the lower end portion 28 is of a size to move through the reduced lower end portion 24 of the bore 23 and that the shoulder 25 is engaged by the lower shoulder 29 of the punch 26 to limit downward movement of the punch relative to the body member 20.

The punch 26 also has an enlarged upper end portion 31 which in its cross sectional dimension is only slightly smaller than the cross sectional dimension of the bore 23 and therefore serves as a guide for the punch during its vertical translation Within the bore 23. It will also be noted that an upper shoulder 32 is defined between the intermediate portion 27 and the enlarged upper end portion 31 of the punch as best seen in FIG. 2.

Resilient means are provided for yieldably resisting vertical downward movement of the punch 26 and this means includes a helical spring 33 which is positioned within the bore 23 and which embraces the punch 26. The upper end of this helical spring 33 engages the upper shoulder 32 of the punch and the lower end thereof bears against the shoulder 25 of the body member 20. Means are also provided for vertically shifting the punch 26 downwardly and this means includes an elongate actuating lever 34 which has one end portion thereof positioned within the recess 21 and pivotally connected to the bifurcations 22 by pivot 35 so that the lever is pivotal about an axis disposed substantially parallel to the general plane of the base 11.

A pair of links 36 (although only one is shown in the drawing) interconnect the upper end portion of the punch 26 with one end portion of the lever 34 so that movement of the lever 34 is transmitted to the punch 26. It will be seen that each link is pivotally connected at its upper end to one end portion of the lever 34 by pivot 37 and is also pivotally connected to the upper end portion of the punch 26 by pivot 28. Means are also provided for limiting upward swinging movement of the lever 34 about its pivot 35 and to this end it will be seen that the end portion of the lever 34 which extends between the bifurcations 22 engages the upper surface of the body member 20 which defines the recess 2]., as best seen in FIG. 2. It will therefore be seen that the helical spring 33 through its coaction with the punch 26 will normally urge the lever 34 against the upper recessed surface of the body member 20. A pair of stripper elements 40 are affixed to and project downwardly from the body member 20 and are disposed on opposite sides of the lower end portion 28 and perforating element 39 of the punch 26. These stripper elements 46 serve to engage and release the answer sheets T that have been perforated from the punch 26 when the latter is retracted upwardly.

During use of the punch device, the answer sheets T will be arranged in a stack so that respective edges thereof are in substantial alignment. These answer sheets, as pointed out above, are of the type for testing, having multiple choice answers, true and false answers or any of the conventional type tests wherein the questions are answered on the answer sheet by marking the appropriate indicia. The master sheet is placed upon the stack of answer sheets to be scored and this master sheet will have the correct answers perforated. Thereafter, the user using the master sheet as a guide or template punches through the openings thereof to perforate all the papers of the stack when each perforation is made. During this action, the lever is moved downwardly and this downward shifting movement is transmitted through the link 36 to the punch 26 and the punch is moved downwardly until the shoulder 29 engages the shoulder 25. The perforating element 30 will project into the aperture 13 in the die element 14 and all of the papers are simultaneously punched with one operation. The punch and lever are normally urged upperwardly and returns to the retracted position by the helical spring 33. Since substantially the entire surface of the base 11 is unobstructed, the operator may very easily manipulate the answer sheets thereon so that all of the answers on a single sheet may be easily punched. It has been found that a number of sheets to be scored which corresponds to the number of students that constitute a conventional class may be easily scored in a matter of a minute or so. The punch device because of its simple, lightweight construction may be easily carried as a conventional hand tool and because of its compact construction may be stored in a minimum of space.

It will therefore, be seen that I have provided a novel and improved punch device for simultaneously scoring a plurality of answer sheets, and which is not only of simpie and inexpensive construction, but one which functions in a more efiicient manner than any heretofore known comparable device.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of our invention.

What we claim is:

.1. A punch device for use in simultaneously perforating and scoring a plurality of similar answer sheets, said device comprising a base having a substantially flat upper surface and having an opening therethrough,

an apertured die positioned within said opening in the base,

an elongate support member spaced above the upper surface of said base and having leg elements integrally formed therewith and depending from opposite ends thereof and secured to said base,

a body member integrally formed with said support member intermediate the ends thereof, said body member having a vertical bore therethrough, the lower end portion of said bore being reduced to define a shoulder thereat,

an elongate punch positioned within said bore for vertical movement relative thereto and projecting through the lower end of said body member, said punch having a lower shoulder thereon for engaging the shoulder on said body member to limit downward movement of said punch, and having an upper shoulder thereon adjacent the upper end thereof,

spring means positioned within said bore and engaging the shoulder on said body member and the upper shoulder on said punch to normally urge the latter in an upward direction,

an elongate actuating lever having one end thereof pivotally connected to said body member, and

a link connecting the upper end of said punch and said one end of the lever whereby pivoting movement of said lever produces vertical shifting movement of said punch.

2. The punch device as defined in claim 1 and cooperating engaging stop surfaces on said body member and lever for preventing upward swinging movement of said lever about its pivotal axis.

The punch device as defined in claim 1 wherein said body member is bifurcated at its upper end, and said one end of the actuating lever is positioned between said bifurcated upper end.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,759,672 5/1920 Tellier S3-633 X 2,619,172 11/1952 Flittner 83-633 X 3,120,778 2/1964 Brye 83633 WILLIAM S. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

